


A Rogue

by eugeneismyqueen



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon), Tangled (2010)
Genre: Abusive Relationships, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Light Angst, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-14
Updated: 2020-04-14
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:02:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23644297
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eugeneismyqueen/pseuds/eugeneismyqueen
Summary: An exploration of Flynn and Staylan's relationship the day of their wedding.
Relationships: Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider & Lance Strongbow, Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider & Stalyan, Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider/Rapunzel, Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider/Stalyan
Comments: 3
Kudos: 44





	A Rogue

**Author's Note:**

> This was written and posted for Eugene Appreciation Week on Tumblr in November 2019 under the prompt: Rogue

“I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you,” she whispered in the dark, beneath the sheets, firelight glowing off her bare shoulders.

“It’s going to be great,” he responded, looking down at the girl in his arms. Their frames were pressed together, holding each other after the lustful passion they shared shortly before. It was nice to be in a warm bed with a beautiful girl.

“Flynn?” The dark eyes peered up at him through a curtain of dark hair.

“Hmm?” 

“I love you.”

“I love you, too, Staylan.” The words settled in a pit in his stomach, the emotion never quite reaching his heart. Sometimes Flynn could tell his partner was being genuine but he couldn’t quite feel the same way that she did and he didn’t have the heart to tell her. He was a thief after all, what’s a couple of hearts to his collection of stolen things?

Staylan drifted off to sleep but Flynn’s mind was too at work to rest. He was getting married tomorrow. He felt too young to get married. He was 18 and Staylan had been his constant since he was 15. She was his partner and his lover, but his wife? Him as her husband? It left a bad taste in his mouth. He hadn’t even wanted to get married. It was her idea, after they stole a ring from a wealthy family in town it was all Staylan would talk about. She forced him into everything, marriage, stealing nice stuff for her, even their romantic encounters were put into action by her. She never cared how he felt about matters so he eventually stopped trying to tell her what he had to say and instead what she wanted to hear. There were less arguments that way.   
But still, Flynn was certain that Staylan loved him. She wanted to be his forever. That had to mean something, right?

Flynn rolled over, releasing Staylan. The bed was so small their bodies still touched, but at least he could focus on his thoughts without looking at her. Firelight cast shadows against the walls, flickering, looking like monsters jeering at him. Eventually he closed his eyes and let sleep take his body away from reality. 

“Today’s the day.” 

Flynn woke up, always a light sleeper, at Staylan’s soft words. She lay on her back staring up at the ceiling, the sheets covering her body and her hair splayed around her like a halo. He grazed his eyes down her body, feeling guilt and anxiety in his stomach swirl around like butterflies. He was marrying her today. Why wasn’t he happy? She was beautiful. She gave him this warm bed, she gave him sex and convinced him she was everything he wanted. She convinced him that he could never find better anywhere else. Flynn felt empty. He needed an escape from his emotions until the ceremony. 

“We should steal something today,” he said. 

“Steal something? Why?” Staylan’s gaze snapped to his. 

“One last hurrah before we’re husband and wife?” Flynn shrugged.

“It’s not like we’ll quit being partners in crime just because we’ll be married.” She rolled her eyes, flipping onto her side and pressing her chest against Flynn’s.  
“No, but I feel like we just need to do this.” He wrapped his arms around her and she relaxed against him, using his bicep as a pillow.

“Okay,” she whispered. “Let’s go steal something. What do you have in mind?”

“The Eye of Pincosta.”

The pair reached the town of Pincosta by mid-morning. They rode fast and hard on the Baron’s horses. 

“It’ll be an easy job,” Flynn said.

“I know,” Staylan smirked. “We’ve been casing this job for months.”

“We’ll be in and out, and back home well before wedding time.” Flynn winked at Staylan from his galloping horse. He knew she liked it when he brought up their wedding. Hopefully all that he was feeling was wedding jitters. He hoped that stealing something with her, just the two of them, would help his old feelings resurface and he could remember why he had ever gotten together with her in the first place. 

When they reached the border of the town, they stopped their horses and tied them up in hiding. Any good thief knew he needed stealth to accomplish a mission.   
“So how should we approach this one?” Flynn asked.

“Our usual?” Staylan started to pull gypsy clothes out of her bag.

“No, no let’s do something different. Something special.” Flynn pushed the clothes back inside her bag, keeping a watchful eye on their surroundings.

“Like what?” Staylan seemed irritated.

“Well we aren’t wanted here. We could show our faces. How about we go as we are? A charming couple, in love and engaged?” Flynn shrugged, his signature smirk tipping the corner of his lips.

“Seems a bit over the top, but I guess I can let you have this one, Rider.” She shut her bag and rolled her eyes, placing her hands on her hips.

“You can’t win them all, Stayl.” Flynn took his fiance’s hand and the two walked into the town of Pincosta, ready to steal the town’s prized diamond. 

Although they didn’t make for the best of lovers, Flynn and Staylan sure could act the part. Staylan held onto Flynn’s hand into town, drawn to every word he said, her body language entirely flirty and sexual. For what onlookers in Pincosta could tell, the two had eyes only for each other. 

They did not envision anything going wrong in their heist. They had been planning it for months, just waiting for the perfect time to execute their mission and steal the Eye. Flynn and Staylan had everything planned out to a T. Even if something went wrong, they had backups for their backups. It was probably the most well thought-out heist they had ever planned.

So when Flynn and Staylan reached the place in town where the jewel was housed, they were thoroughly shocked to find that another thief was in their midst and three steps ahead of them. Their jaws laid slack on the ground as they watched the thief in front of them manipulate the town’s master jeweller the way they had planned on doing.

Quickly composing himself, Flynn pulled Staylan to the jewel. 

“Wow, ain’t she a beaut,” Flynn turned on the charm as the other thief turned to look at him, surprise growing in his eyes. 

“Well, look who it is,” the thief said bitterly, as if scorned by Flynn.

“Lance? Is that you?” Flynn feigned surprise. 

“Flynn and Staylan, my favorite couple.” Lance’s words were angry, and Flynn couldn’t really blame his buddy. He’d been a sour friend the last time he’d seen Lance. 

“Is there a problem?” The jeweller eyed the pair of men.

“No sir,” Flynn responded. “I’m here on holiday with my fiance, we heard about the Eye of Pincosta and wanted to see such a pretty jewel for ourselves. May I?” 

The jeweller nodded and held out the Eye for all to see. “It is Pincosta’s most beloved treasure.”

“What do you think, honey?” Flynn wrapped an arm around Staylan’s shoulder and she draped herself against him.

“It’s beautiful, sweetheart! Do you think I could hold it?” She swiped the Eye from the jeweller’s hand before he could answer. Flynn was quick to move, pulling the duplicate from his pocket and swiping the real Eye from Stalyan’s hands.

“Oh honey! What have we talked about?” He dropped the fake into the jeweller’s hands and pocketed the real one all in a blink of an eye. 

“Oops!” Staylan giggled. “Sorry sir, I can be a bit grabby here. It’s how I landed this man.” She turned her eyes up to Flynn and kissed him right there.

The jeweller looked frazzled and quickly locked the Eye of Pincosta back up. Lance eyeballed the whole interaction without much interest, used to the ways Flynn and Staylan did things. He followed the two out of the shop. 

“How have you been Flynn? Staylan?”

“We’re engaged. The wedding is tonight.” Staylan was bored already. The thrill of the heist was over and now she was ready to go home and prepare for her wedding. 

“Tonight?” Lance looked shocked. 

“Tonight.” Flynn muttered, watching Staylan saunter away from them. 

Lance’s eyes quickly turned cold, “Thanks for the invite. I always thought I would be your best man at your wedding.”

“Come on, Lance, I never thought I would have a wedding.”

“But you are having a wedding. You’re getting married, Flynn. And you didn’t even try to contact me.”

“How could I?” Flynn bit back.

“Boys,” Staylan snapped. “Not now. Have your lover’s spat when we get out of this place. Lance you can come to the wedding if it means that much to you.” 

“Flynn, I don’t think I ---”

“THERE! FLYNN RIDER! HE STOLE THE EYE.” 

Out of nowhere there were guards everywhere. The three rogues took off at full sprint, running hard and fast away from trouble. Someone gripped Flynn’s waistcoat by the collar. He brandished his dagger and blindly stabbed the guard behind him. A yelp sounded and he was free again, chasing after Lance and Staylan. They outran the guards and quickly mounted the horses, Staylan and Flynn mounting together so Lance could have the spare horse. They galloped off into the forest, quickly running away from Pincosta and their angry people.  
“Guess we’re wanted there now,” Flynn chuckled.

“I think it’s only you who’s wanted, Rider,” Staylan glowered at him, twisting in their saddle to glance up at him.

They made it back to their town in record time, still hours away from the wedding ceremony.

“Flynn we need to talk.” 

Flynn had hoped this moment could be avoided, but it was inevitable that he and Lance would talk. He should have known better. 

“What do you wanna talk about, buddy?”

Lance pulled Flynn into a quiet corner of the Baron’s manor, where no maids would eavesdrop and snitch on their conversation. Flynn stared at him in expectancy. 

“You can’t marry Staylan.”

“Why not?” Flynn stepped back. Of everything he could think of that they would talk about, it wasn’t this.

“Because you aren’t happy with her,” Lance said, looking down at his best friend who he knew better than anyone else.

“And how would you know that, Lance? You haven’t been around.” Flynn crossed his arms and looked away, knowing his words were bitter and mean but he had to lash out.

“And whose fault is that?” Lance raised an eyebrow. “You abandoned me, Flynn. You did. Not me. And you need to hear me out.”

“I don’t need to hear anything you say, Lance. You don’t know what’s good for me.”

Flynn turned on his heel and began to march away from Lance and from their conversation.

“Eugene,” Lance snapped. “Get back here now.”

“I told you never to call me that again. Eugene is weak and soft and he’s gone. I’m Flynn Rider now.” Flynn was fuming.

“And Eugene is the only way to get through to you. You are still in there, Eugene. I don’t care how much Staylan’s manipulated you. You have a good heart. You are a good person. You can’t marry her.”

Eugene sighed, his facade beginning to crack. “But she wants me to, buddy. She threatened me into this marriage.”

“But you can get out, Eugene. You can walk away from that toxic girl and never look back. It can be just the two of us again, like old times.” Lance put his hands on Eugene’s shoulders and looked into his eyes, seeing the scared and hungry boy in the orphanage who became Flynn Rider to hide his fears and grow up too quickly. 

“But how?” Eugene whispered, his voice cracking.

“I’ll help you. Besides, I hear the king and queen of Corona are travelling this time of year. The queen’s got a really valuable ring that’s been passed through her family for generations. We’ll get out of here tonight and steal it.”

A glimmer of light and hope was returning to Flynn’s eyes, his cunning back. “Now that,” he said. “Sounds like a plan I can get behind.”

By the time Staylan had put on her white dress and walked down the aisle, her groom was nowhere to be found, already running fast away and onto his journey to the kingdom of Corona to steal a ring from the queen’s dainty hand, his best buddy and true partner in crime by his side.

“Thank you for telling me your story,” Rapunzel whispered in the firelight outside the caravan. Cass, Lance, and the others were fast asleep inside and the moon had already risen high above them in the night, but she couldn’t sleep without knowing the full truth of Eugene’s past they had just narrowly escaped from. She had her hands in his and he watched the firelight dance across her face and make her hair look glowy. 

“Of course, sunshine.” Eugene pulled Rapunzel into his arms and held her close to his heart. 

“I know that was probably tough for you to tell me,” she whispered against him.

“No sweetheart, you deserved to hear it.”

“You really never loved her?” Rapunzel looked up at Eugene, her wide eyes bright and earnest as she met his gaze.

“I thought I did once. But she used me. She was abusive and toxic, she always forced me to do things I didn’t want to do and convinced me she did it out of love, that she did it to make me a better man for her. But that isn’t love.” 

Rapunzel burrowed further against Eugene, holding him tightly and never wanting to let go. “I’m so sorry, Eugene. You don’t deserve that.”

“You want to know something, though?”

“Hmm?” 

Eugene pulled Rapunzel away just an inch to meet her eyes. “I know now for certain that what I felt for Staylan was never love. Because I have never ever felt for her the way that I feel about you, Rapunzel.”

“Eugene?” the firelight looked so pretty bouncing across her freckles like this.

“I am so deeply in love with you, Rapunzel. I intend to prove that to you everyday of my life so long as you let me.”

“I love you too, Eugene, more than you could ever know.”

He pulled Rapunzel in close again and kissed her softly, thrill and happiness in his heart over the fact that he was in love with this girl who meant everything in the world to him and she accepted him and all his baggage for who he really was.


End file.
